186

Πόλεις (Poleis)
(‘Cities’)

Discussion Meineke 1839 1.373; 1840 ΠΙ.181-2; 1847. 583; Bothe 1855. 426;
Kock 1884 11.150; Edmonds 1959 11.60—1; Kassel-Austin 1991 11.257 (cf. 1986
V.424); Nesselrath 1998. 173; Sanchis Llopis et al. 2007. 258
Title Aside from Eupolis’ play of the same name, a Πόλεις is variously at-
tributed in antiquity to Philyllius, Eunicus, or Aristophanes, and Heniochus
may have written one as well (cf. K.-A. on fr. 5). Plural titles are normally taken
to refer to the composition of the chorus, and indeed that appears to have
been the case in Eupolis’ play (cf. Storey 2003. 217-18 with bibliography for
an ‘individualized’ chorus); Meineke 1840 III.181 thus reasonably suggested
that Anaxandrides used personified states as characters.74 Which states were
represented is a more difficult question and one that, in the absence of a clear
historical context is essentially unanswerable, with the apparent exception of
Egypt (fr. 40). Kock 1884 ad loc. is uneasy with Meineke’s suggestion but has no
cogent argument against it: ‘de argumento (i. e. of Meineke) non habeo quod
opponam: sed quod in antiqua comoedia Eupolidi licebit, in nova aliter instit-
uendum erat Anaxandridi,’ presumably based on the false assumptions that a
play with personified states must have closely paralleled Eupolis’ Poleis and
that such engagement with politics is out of place in fourth-century comedy.
Content of the comedy One obvious conclusion from the title, especially
when taken with the content of fr. 40 (cf. the introduction to fr. 40), is that the
play was largely concerned with contemporary Athenian politics and espe-
cially foreign policy; for Anaxandrides and politics, see Introduction; Webster
1970. 40. The play could have dealt with Athens’ relations with a number of
foreign states and its attempts to position itself within the Greek world at
large; in contrast to Eupolis’ depiction of Athens’ subject-allies, the cities will
presumably have been independent. Alternatively, the focus might have been
less political and more cultural, possibly culminating in a display of Athens’
superiority. The cities of the title could be portrayed by representatives who
have travelled to Athens, or conceivably represent immigrant groups living
in Athens; or the play may have revolved around an Athenian (or group
of Athenians) travelling through various cities, perhaps out of disgust with
Athens only to realize its superiority in the end.

74 Gulick’s translation (1928-1957) of the title as Island-towns, apparently with Eu-
polis’ play in mind, is irresponsible.